Michigan’s governor, embroiled in the crisis over Flint’s water supply, has proposed what would be the toughest lead standards in the country. He calls the current U.S. Environmental Protection Agency lead limit of 15 parts per billion “dumb and dangerous” and wants a much lower level of 10 ppb for Michigan. That would bring the state in line with the international standard.

The Associated Press has a story about the lead rule debate moving for immediate use tomorrow, Wednesday, May 27. It will be accompanied by an embargoed data set showing how many water systems nationwide would test over the lead limit if it were lowered to 10 ppb. This is an updated version of the data that ran with the Tainted at the Tap project on April 9. You can access the embargoeddata at the following link:

Don't miss your change to get some of the best digital newsgathering training available! Register today for NewsTrain, set for May 6-7 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Learn how to maximize your social media for personal branding and audience engagement, use social media for sourcing, including verifying user-generated content, and make smart choices in digital storytelling. All the details are here: http://www.apme.com/?page=HalifaxNewsTrain.

You can't beat the price: $75 for two days of training by top experts!

If you can't make it to Halifax, there's another chance this fall to attend. NewsTrain brings its digital-skills training to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Sept. 30-Oct. 1. Please sign up here to be notified when that program is set. Questions? Email NewsTrain Project Director Linda Austin.

_______________________

ASNE-APME Conference Registration Open

It's time to register for the 2016 ASNE-APME News Leadership Conference Sept. 11-14 in downtown Philadelphia! Leading off a packed agenda is a pre-conference (pre-registration required) workshop focused on newsroom transformation. Plan to spend some time at events hosted by the Associated Press Photo Managers, which holds its annual conference in conjunction with APME and ASNE.

Registration for the main conferenceis $275 for APME and ASNE members and $375 for nonmembers. There are special rates for retired members, spouses, students and APME's Regents. Lunch tickets for Monday and Tuesday can be purchased during registration.

Special note: To register for the Sunday pre-conference workshop: Email APME Executive Director Sarah Nordgren at snordgren@ap.org. The workshop has limited space and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis to those who are registered to attend the conference.

__________________________

Nominate a Leader for Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity Leadership

Nominations are open for the award honoring individuals, news organizations or related journalistic organizations or teams of journalists who embody the spirit of Robert G. McGruder, a former executive editor of the Detroit Free Press, former managing editor of The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, graduate of Kent State University and relentless diversity champion. McGruder died of cancer in April 2002.

The Robert G. McGruder Award for Diversity Leadership is sponsored by the Associated Press Media Editors and the American Society of News Editors.

Jurors will be looking for nominees who have made a significant contribution during a given year or during a number of years toward furthering diversity in news content and in recruiting, developing and retaining a diverse workforce. Announcement of the 2015 McGruder Award recipient will be made at the joint APME-ASNE conference Sept. 11-14 in Philadelphia. This year’s honoree will receive $2,500 and a leadership trophy.

Deadline: Material must be received by close of business on Monday, May 16.